‘I want to die’ – Hepatitis B patient recounts ordeal

With a protruding stomach and swollen feet, Yaa Adjeiwaa, sat on a bench in front of an uncompleted building, every morning, reminiscing her once vibrant life. She is forced to stay indoors and watch her life waste away.

“I cry every night for death, I just want to die because this pain is unbearable” she cried.

The 40-year- mother of two is suffering from Hepatitis B. She says, her father died of the same disease two years ago.

“Two years ago, my father was diagnosed of Hepatitis B and I was the one taking care of him, unfortunately we lost him early last year” she recounted.

Few months after her father’s death, Yaa started having excruciating pains in her abdomen; she concluded it would be stomach upset possibly from indigestion.

“I reported to the hospital and I was diagnosed of ulcer, I started ulcer treatment but the pain would not go” she said.

Just before the 2022 Christmas holidays, Yaa Adjeiwaa’s condition worsened, she would often lose consciousness and stamina.

“I visited the Amasaman Government Hospital and after further examination, I was diagnosed of Hepatitis B and it has not been easy”

She was later transferred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, for further scans and labs. The 40-year-old, single mother plied her trade at the Amasaman market where she sold cassava and plantain.

She is gradually lost her capital in fighting the disease.

“I was told to do endoscopy which cost GHC1200 among other scans and labs but I could not afford it, I had used all my savings on medicines and scans. So, I came home waiting to die” she said sobbing.

Hepatitis B spreads when a person infected with the virus enters the body of someone who is not affected. The hepatitis B virus affects the liver.

“I was told my liver had sores on it hence my protruding stomach and swollen feet” she added.

Exhausted all her funds, Yaa relied on friends and family for help but only one came through for her.

She lived with a friend at satellite, a suburb of Amasaman after she was ejected for defaulting her rent.

“I appealed to all benevolent individuals to help me. I have two sons; the last one is in Senior High School and it’s been difficult to support them” she added.

Crime Check Foundation under its Health Series through its donors gave Yaa Adjeiwaa money for her hospital to the tune of GHC3000. She was gradually recovering but according to doctors, the damage on the liver was grave.

Yaa Adjeiwaa gave up the ghost on January 24, 2023 at the Amasaman Government Hospital.